Tanya Tkachenko (SFS’26) was on a gap year after high school when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
She was in her hometown in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine at around 6 a.m. when she noticed her mother getting ready to go to work at her military office earlier than usual. When she asked why, her mom told her the war had started. She asked her to grab the family’s credit cards and run into town to withdraw cash at the bank and stock up on groceries.
On her street, Tkachenko saw neighbors frantically packing their cars. At the bank, the lines stretched outside. The grocery shelves were stripped bare, reminding her of the COVID-19 pandemic just two years prior.
“On that day, I realized my whole world was changing,” she said. “I don’t think I understood it at that very moment, but now looking back, it changed me as a person. It will forever be a part of me.”
Tkachenko always dreamed of studying in the U.S. When the war started, she didn’t know what her future looked like.
But Georgetown made her dream come true.
Tkachenko is part of the first undergraduate cohort of the Gracias Family Sunflower Current Use Scholarship Fund. The scholarship, funded by an over $6 million commitment from Antonio Gracias (SFS’92, G’93) and Sabrina Kuhl Gracias (B’93), has supported 22 Ukrainian students at Georgetown, including undergraduates in all schools who demonstrate financial need as well as merit-based scholarships for graduate students in the School of Foreign Service (SFS).
After four years on the Hilltop, Tkachenko will graduate with a college experience that has prepared her to serve and help rebuild the country she calls home.
“Ever since I was a child, I had this American dream of being in the U.S. and having this real college experience,” she said. “I wanted to get a worldwide perspective. I wanted to explore. I wanted to do something different. I want to challenge myself and be a part of something bigger.”
A Family Separated By War
Tkachenko moved into Georgetown’s New South residence hall in August 2022. Days before, she had said goodbye to her parents in Ukraine. She remembers her mother crying as she got on a 30-hour bus ride to Romania before flying to Washington, DC.
Staff members from Georgetown met her and other Ukrainian students at the airport to welcome them to the U.S.
Tkachenko was excited to start the next chapter of her life. But she was also anxious for her family.
Just a few months prior, her brother had been captured by Russian forces in the siege of Mariupol. She has kept a childhood photo of the two of them together in her dorm room throughout her years at Georgetown.
“I was supposed to be happy, but I was also leaving my family in a war zone,” she said.
When Tkachenko left for Georgetown, she didn’t know if she could return to Ukraine to visit her family. But knowing that she was where she needed to be — and where her family wanted her to be — kept her going.
“I knew that while they were struggling, they still wanted what was best for me, because for them, that was one of the happy moments they had in their life, knowing that I’m here, I’m safe, I’m getting a great education.”
While Tkachenko didn’t know how often she could return to her homeland, she found her own Ukrainian community at Georgetown.
On the Hilltop, Tkachenko connected with other Ukrainian students through the scholarship and the Georgetown University Ukrainian Society (GUUS). In GUUS, Tkechenko organized events for the Georgetown community, from speaker events to movie screenings and student summits.
Having a Ukrainian community helped her get through college, she said.
“It’s been nice to navigate this process with them and not just by myself. We have this network, and we’re always supporting each other. They were a huge part of my journey at Georgetown. Without them, I probably would have struggled.”
Preparing For a Career in Public Service
Tkachenko has always been passionate about politics. Before the war, she served as the president of her hometown’s youth council and considered a career in local politics or journalism.
But when she saw her homeland ravaged by war, she wanted to go beyond local politics. She entered the School of Foreign Service as an international politics major.
“I realized I wanted to be a part of the change. I wanted to do something to help my country,” she said.
After her first year, Tkachenko returned to Ukraine, where she interned for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, analyzing military equipment shipments to Ukraine and identifying opportunities for more partnerships with foreign governments and companies. In 2024, she interned for a member of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament.
Over time, Tkachenko pivoted her focus from politics to security studies after seeing the impact her parents were making by serving in the military. Her dad served on the frontlines, and her mom works in an administrative military role.
“I realized how essential security was for humans, and we really take it for granted,” she said. “Politicians seemed to do a lot of talking and advocacy, but it wasn’t really helping people in the field.
She also valued how her professors were often practitioners who could offer real-world insights in class.
“It’s been cool to learn not just from books but also through their experiences and practical skills,” she said. “Georgetown is a unique and special place to get those skills. I don’t think there’s a place in the world where all these professionals from different fields with so much experience are gathered.”
While Tkachenko couldn’t secure federal government internships as a foreign student, she found an alternative path in corporate security and investigation firms. In her yearlong internship with the financial and risk advisory firm Kroll, Tkachenko gathered business intelligence on individuals and entities that may be politically exposed or sanctioned.
This semester, she has been working with OSINT for Ukraine, a nonprofit organization that investigates war crimes in Ukraine and researches disinformation campaigns in the region. In her role, Tkachenko verifies information and photographs from her home country.
After graduating, Tkachenko will join PricewaterhouseCoopers as a reputational due diligence analyst. She hopes to one day return to Ukraine for a career in defense and security and to help rebuild her country.
That desire to serve her community comes from her family, she said.
“My family has always been an example of giving back to our country, to the community. I don’t think before the war I understood how big a deal it was,” she said. “They didn’t have to be in the military, but they chose to. I always knew I wanted to follow their example.”
A Homecoming
Tkachenko came to Georgetown in 2022 on her own. While she returned home during long breaks, her parents have barely had time off in four years and were never able to visit her in DC.
But this commencement, Tkachenko will not be alone. Her mom will be there, cheering for her on Healy Lawn and celebrating her daughter’s accomplishments.
Tkachenko can’t wait to show her mother everything that has made her life special at Georgetown.
“I keep telling my friends every day that my mom is going to come,” she said. “I want to show her this. Take her to the ice cream place. Show her the donut place, the bagel place. I want to show her everything that’s been part of my daily life here in DC and in Georgetown because she hasn’t been able to see it.”
She wishes her whole family could be with her, especially her brother, whom her family hasn’t heard from since 2025.
“I want to be able to travel back home and see my family and see my brother,” she said. “I want him to come home and reunite with him. I just want peace and justice for my people.”
Tkachenko looks forward to the future with hope for herself, her family and her country. In the meantime, she is proud to have accomplished her dream of graduating from Georgetown.
“I’m just very grateful to be here and for the opportunity Georgetown gave me, for believing in me four years ago because I was so little. I can’t believe that I’ve changed so much.”
